Plunger-elevator.



PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

C. E. OSGHGER.

PLUNGER ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001:. s, 1903.

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PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

C. E. OSGHGER. PLUNGER ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001:. 6, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES E. OSCHGER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS TO ROSE S. MGMANUS, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA.

PLUNGER-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,782, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed. October 6, 1903- T0 aZZ whonz it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLEs E. OSCHG-ER, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Plunger-Elevator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of an elevator system provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views, on a larger scale, showing the cross-head and clutch; and Fig. 5 is a detail View of the. clutch-setting latch.

My invention relates to the class of plungerelevators in which the car is carried at the upper end of the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder and is designed to improve such elevators and provide mechanism whereby such an elevator system may be used for a building of any height. Heretofore these plunger-elevators could not be successfully used in buildings beyond a certain height, owing to the long unsupported length of the plunger as the car reaches the upper stories. Attempts have been made to overcome this difliculty by using a plurality of plungers and cylinders arranged in a concentric manner, each one having a cross-head and the set completing the entire height; but such a system is complicated, expensive, and liable to get out of order, My invention overcomes this difficulty in a simple and eflicient manner; and it consists in providing a cross-head which is normally loose on the plunger, but which is automatically clutched thereto at a predetermined point, so as to be solely supported by the plunger till it is again unclutched. This cross-head then moves up with the plunger, supports and guides it against side bending or vibration, and is automatically detached from the plunger on the return movement.

.In the drawings, 2 represents the hydraulic cylinder, 3 the plunger, and 4 the car, of a plunger-elevator. The elevatorguides are Serial No. 175,976. .(No model.)

indicated at 5 5 and may be of any suitable construction. At the upper end of the cylinder 2 is a cross-head 6, having end guides or extended bearings 7 7, which slide upon the guides for the car. This cross-head has a central hole through which the plunger loosely passes, and at the sides of this hole are trunnioned two oppositely-extending lever-clutch members 8 and 9, having their inner lower portions curved and adapted to grip the plunger when they are swung down upon their pivots. The outer end of the lever-arm 8 extends beneath a cam 10, mounted on a shaft in the end portion of the cross-head. A bellcrank lever 11 is secured to the shaft of the cam, and when the parts are in the normal position (shown in Fig. 1,) the upper arm of the bell-crank lever 11 is in substantially horizontal position. At the opposite end of the cross-head is mounted another cam, 12, with a bell-crank lever 13 secured to its shaft, the upper arm of this lever normally projecting upwardly at an angle, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower arms of the bell-cranks are connected by a pivoted rod 14. The cross-head is provided with two depending plungers 15 15, which are arranged to enter two pneumatic cylinders 16, mounted on each side of the upper end of the cylinder 2. Each of these pneumatic cylinders forms a dash-pot and is provided with a vertical row of exhaust-holes which decrease in diameter downwardly.

or rope leads to a pulley or drum 22, to which This pulley is mounted this end is secured.

on a shaft to which is secured a sprocketwheel, from which passes a sprocket-chain 23, extending over an upper sprocket-wheel 24:. The sprocket-chain carries a projecting finger or lug 25, which is in the path of a hinged projection 26, mounted on the car. The projection 26 is allowed to swing upwardly, but is prevented from swinging downwardly. As the car moves upwardly, therefore, the projection 26 will engage the finger 25 and push this finger upwardly, moving the sprocket-chain and sprocket-wheels until the finger 25 is carried to the top of the upper sprocket-wheel. During this travel of the sheaves the rope is drawn upwardly, and its tappet engages the outwardly-projecting arm of the bell-crank lever 11 and turns this lever until it assumes an inclined position substantially as shown in Fig. 3. During this turning of the bell-crank the cam 10 forces the clutch-arms downwardly, and thus grips the cross-head to the plunger. The cross-head then moves up with the plunger and the rope is drawn back to its normal position by the weight at its lower end, the sprocket-chain and finger 25 returning to place. The car then moves up the remaining number of stories while the intermediate part of the plunger is supported and guided by the cross-head. On the downward movement of the car the projection 26 strikes the finger 25, but swings upwardly freely without acting upon it. As the car nears the lower end of its travel a pivoted dog 27, mounted in the side of the shaft, contacts with the outwardlyprojecting arm of the bell-crank 13 and tilts this arm upwardly, thus turning both of the cams and releasing the clutch. The crosshead then drops freely the remaining short distance and is cushioned by the pneumatic dash-pots. This early release and short drop of the cross-head obviates any injury to it which might arise from temporary binding of the clutch mechanism such as might result if contact with the end of the cylinder or other unyielding part were relied upon to release the cross-head from the plunger. During the upward movement of the car the dog 27 swings upwardly, so as not to interfere with the bellcrank 13.

The advantages of my invention result from the use of the loose cross-head or guide, its automatic clutching to the plunger, and early positive release therefrom. I thus provide a Supporting-guide which will prevent bending or swaying of the plunger and which is set to be clutched to the plunger at any desired point in its length.

A series of cross-heads may be used, if desired, the form and arrangement of the guide or crosshead may be varied, as well as the means for clutching it to and unclutching it from the plunger, and many other changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. A plunger-elevator having a loose plunger-guide, mechanism for securing the guide to the plunger at a predetermined point in its length, and stationary mechanism located within the shaft and arranged to be tripped by the car, to actuate the guide-securing means; substantially as described.

2. A plunger-elevator having a loose plunger-guide, a clutch for securing the guide to the plunger, and non-traveling means tripped by the passage of the car to actuate the clutch; substantially as described. I

3. A plunger-elevator having a loose plunger-guide, clutch mechanism for securing the guide to the plunger, clutch-actuating cams carried by the guide and non-traveling means located within the shaft and operated by the movement of the car to rotate said clutch-actuating cams; substantially as described.

4. A plunger-elevator havinga freely-dropping plunger-guide, means for temporarily clutching said guide to said plunger, stationary means for releasing said guide from said plunger before the guide reaches its position of rest, and a cushioning device at the bottom of the shaft for arresting the free drop of said plunger-guide; substantially as described.

5. A plunger-elevator having a loose plungerguide, clutches arranged to clutch the guide to the plunger, means detached from the car for operating the clutches at a predetermined point and means moving with the car for actuating said first-named means and which immediately become disengaged therefrom; substantially as described.

6. A plunger-elevator having a loose plunger-guide embracing said plunger, a non-traveling mechanism arranged to actuate a clutch on the guide, and a projection on the car arranged to trip the clutch-actuating mechanism; substantially as described.

7. A plunger-elevator having an independently-movable plunger-guide, clutch mechanism adapted to temporarily connect said guide to said plunger or to release it therefrom before said guide reaches its position of rest, automatic means for operating said clutch mechanism, and a pneumatic dash-pot for arresting the independent movement of the guide when released; substantially as described.

8. A plunger-elevator having a guide loosely surrounding said plunger, clutch-levers pivoted in said guide and adapted to connect the guide to the plunger, cams for actuating said clutch-levers, and connected bell-crank levers for actuating said cams, substantially as described.

9. A plunger-elevator having a loose plunscent of said guide when disconnected from ger-guide, clutch-levers for connecting the the plunger; substantially as described. I guide to the plunger and disconnecting it In testimony whereof I have hereunto set therefrom, cams for actuating said levers, my hand.

link-connected bell-crank levers for throwing CHARLES E. OSCHGER. said cams, suitably-arranged tappets for ac- Witnesses: tuating said bell-crank levers, and a pneu- GEO. B. BLEMING,

matic cushioning device for arresting the de- JOHN MILLER. 

